


Part Of The Family

by Leni



Category: Gone With the Wind - Margaret Mitchell
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-01-22
Updated: 2012-01-22
Packaged: 2017-10-29 22:59:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 305
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/325119
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Leni/pseuds/Leni
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Set in pre-Sherman Atlanta. Rhett's ties to the Peachtree house go beyond the green-eyed belle living there.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Part Of The Family

Since Wade's cries had stopped waking her up, Scarlett couldn't really complain about her son. Every morning, Scarlett would check into the nursery room before leaving for the hospital, and if Wade was already awake, he'd get a kiss and a half-hearted promise to tell him a bedtime story - which he wouldn't mind hearing from his aunt when night came.

No, Scarlett had no complaint.

Except when the boy, always shy around grown ups, rushed past her to hug himself against Rhett's tailored pant legs. "Uncle Rhett!"

Scarlett's color heightened. Thank goodness Melanie found the whole thing endearing, while Pittypat was as caught as ever between her niece's opinions and the foreseeable censure of everyone else. It was so embarrassing!

Protests were useless, too. The one time the three had been alone, Scarlett had pried the boy away and started telling him that Rhett wasn't family. But that soulless varmint hadn't let her finish; he'd slipped Wade a bonbon and sent him to play outside. Then, dark eyes dancing, Rhett had calmly asked if she wasn't content that Wade would never hear a kind word about his father from his mother's lips. "How dare you!" she'd started, and he'd laughed, "Didn't you hear, Scarlett? I dare because your son has adopted me."

Today Scarlett remained quiet until Rhett had scooped up the boy. "Hello, Captain Butler."

"Mrs. Hamilton," he returned with a small bow that Wade tried to imitate.

Melanie's laugh at the scene forced Scarlett to smile.

Rhett's grin announced that he saw through the cheery mask. "As lovely as ever, Mrs. Hamilton." And as he walked past her, he added in a whisper, "Please keep your claws sheathed, my dear. My heart is so tender!"

Scarlett fumed behind him, and wished that he had a heart at all.

 

The End  
07/02/10


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